Driving licence in Pakistan

Type	Driving Licence/License
Issued by	Individual district, province, territory or federal government
Purpose	Driving Permission Identification
Eligibility	Candidate must be at least 18 years old and medically fit to drive.
Expiration	5 years

In Pakistan, the driving licence is the official document which authorises its holder to operate various types of motor vehicles (depending on the type of licence) on publicly accessible roads. Driving licences are issued to drivers by each individual district, province or territory in which the driver is residing. Thus, specific regulations relating to driving licences vary depending on the jurisdiction and province to province, though overall they are quite similar. All provinces and territories within Pakistan mutually recognizes driving licences from other provinces and territories for identification and driving status.

Background

The applicant must show their National Identity Card and proof of residence of the area in which a candidate is applying and must be able to read a car number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres (67.2 feet).

For a new licence the person usually needs to apply first for a learner's permit.

• The candidate needs to come to the office, in person.
• The candidate needs to show a valid CNIC (Computerised National Identity Card)
• The candidate can only apply in the district of their domicile (In case of the out district, permission may be granted from the concerned MLA/DPO in advance).
• Paste a ticket of Rs. 60 for each category e.g. motor bike, car, etc.
• Medical form duly signed from the authorised medical practitioner

Punjab

• Learner's permit (Learner License): Available at the age of 16, with the passing of a multiple choice road theory test, a driving permit is issued which allows the learning driver to drive on roads. The exact same process, except with other restrictions, is used for obtaining a motorcycle licence.

The minimum age for applying for a permanent driving licence is 18 years of age. For paid drivers, it is 20 years of age. A permanent driving licence is valid throughout Pakistan.

Test requirements

After fulfilling the medical tests the applicant is eligible for getting the computerised learner's permit. The learner's permit is valid for six months normally. And after that the driver is eligible for a computerised driving licence. In this six months time candidates have to pass through a series of tests. Phase 1 requires candidates to pass a computerised written test, followed by a road signs test. If the candidate fails in any of the phase 1 tests, then the candidate shall retry phase 1 after a gap of 42 days. Passing requires at least 50% correct answers. After Phase 1, Phase 2 is a practical test in which the candidate is tested to drive in narrow spaces, and park in a narrow space. If during the test, the candidate's car touches any of the cones, then a retest can take place after 42 days. After successfully passing the test the driver can get the computerised driving licence which is valid for 3 years or 5 years.

Security features

The National Database & Registration Authority has developed an RFID-based driver's licence that bears a license holder's unique, personal information as well as stores data regarding traffic violations and tickets issued / outstanding penalties. Data is stored in two halves of the chip. One half contains the personal information of the licence holder and cannot be changed or modified. The second half is rewritable, where history of violations can be recorded. At the end of the day, violation data is transferred from the policeman's handheld device to local police station which is then transferred to the central server (at district/ provincial level) through a secure channel that ensures data security and integrity. The e-Driver's Licence system has been developed to automatically revoke driving rights in case of repeated traffic violations. Comprehensive data of traffic violations are electronically stored and available to the authorities. The e-driver's licence also allows the authorities to provide for supplementary provisions and services. The RFID driver's licence enables improvements in identity verification, privacy protection and highway safety.

Regulations

• 1 – Learner's driving permit of motorcycle / motorcar / LTV / HTV / PSV / tractor (agriculture) shall be valid for six months, however the applicant can appear for practical driving test after 42 days

• 2 – Learner's driving permit of construction / agriculture machinery shall be valid for one year, however the applicant can appear for the practical driving test after six months

• 3 – Foreigners' Driving Licences shall be valid for the duration of their Pakistani visa

• 4 – International Driving Permits shall be valid for one year

• 5 – All other categories of Driving Licences issued under these Rules other than PSV licences shall be valid for 5 years

• 6 – PSV Licences shall be valid for three years unless otherwise provided in these Rules, cancelled/suspended by the Authority or a competent Court earlier

Driving licence categories

The driving licence categories in Pakistan are as follows:

• Motorcar/jeep: Driving licences are not valid for commercial transport.
• Motorbike/rickshaw: Can only drive motorcycles, motor assisted bicycles and drive motor-tricycle motorcycles
• LTV: Light transport vehicle driving licences are valid for commercial car/taxi, jeep, mini bus and lightweight transport.
• HTV: Heavy transport vehicle driving licences are valid for buses, trucks, trailers, cranes, and any type of heavy transport.
• Tractor (agricultural)
• PSV: public service vehicle
• International driver's permit

Driving licence verification

If a person has a valid driving licence in Pakistan, they can verify the status of their licence through their licence authority website of their individual district, province or territory. They have to put their CNIC number into the system. The system provides following information of that licensee.

• Name
• Date of birth
• Date of issue / Valid from
• Date of expiry / Valid to
• Licence number
• Photograph of holder
• Signature of holder
• Address
• Licence categories / Allowed vehicles (M.Cycle, M.Car, Jeep, LTV, HTV etc)
• Sex / Gender

Driving licence renewal

Driving licences in Pakistan are usually issued for 5 years. After 5 years, a licensee must renew their driving licence for further 5 years. For this purpose, a licensee should visit their nearest driving licence office with the required documents. The following documents are required to submit.

• Filled application form
• 2 passport size photographs
• A CNIC (computerised national identity card) copy
• Current driving licence before the expiry date (or expired)
• Required tickets of relevant licence

After completing the process, the licence is posted to the address mentioned in the application form.

See also

• Computerised National Identity Card
• Pakistani passport